Boeing deliveries move higher as 787 ramps up

Boeing's commercial airplane division ramped up deliveries in June and in the second quarter as it increased the production rate of the 787 Dreamliner.

For the quarter, the company delivered 181 commercial planes, an increase of 7 percent compared with the second quarter of last year. For the year, Boeing's commercial airplane deliveries are up 11.7 percent to 342 planes.

While two-thirds of the deliveries last quarter were 737s, which is Boeing's most popular plane, it's the growth in Dreamliner deliveries that is the focus for many investors.

Source: Boeing Co.

Boeing has targeted delivery of 110 Dreamliners this year as it adjusts to a higher production rate of 10 787s per month. In June, the airplane manufacturer delivered 15 Dreamliners thanks to a surge line that helped the company recover from production issues earlier this year in Charleston, South Carolina.

The announcement comes on the same day as the Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 17,000 mark. Boeing is one of just five DJIA components that did not contribute to the Dow's run from 16,000 to 17,000. Since the Dow crossed 16,000 on Nov. 21 of last year, Boeing shares have dropped 3.6 percent.